The present invention is related to an alkaline cleaner for removal of greasy soil from hard surface areas. It is especially effective in removing not only the grease but also grease plus lime-soaps found in institutional and commercial kitchens, in other food preparation environments, in bathrooms or lavatories, and on vehicles. Prior to the present invention, the greases, particularly in combination with lime-soaps, have been difficult to clean from hard surfaces such as ceramic tiles, metal or enamel surfaces, or countertops. This difficulty apparently is due to unsaturated portions of materials being partially cross-linked which upon aging further polymerize and also due to the general hydrophobic nature of the soil.
Most lime-soap dispersants previously described contain sulfated, sulfonated or phosphonated compounds. Alkyl or alkylaryl ethoxy carboxylates are known in the art as mild surfactants for use in liquid detergent compositions. They have been described as being poor in grease cutting and require the use of other surfactants to achieve the desired cleaning. For example, international patent application, publication number WO92/08777 describes a light-duty dishwashing detergent composition containing an alkyl ethoxy carboxylate surfactant and calcium or magnesium ions and a moderate complexing agent. It was therefore surprising to find that alkyl and alkylaryl ethoxy carboxylates of the present invention are effective in removing greasy soil, particularly greasy soil containing lime-soaps, when such active ingredients are combined with a strong chelating agent and a source of alkalinity.